By the 1700’s the colonies of England had grown. Ships were making regular trips to England carrying lumber, furs, fish, tobacco, rice and grain. They returned with furniture, dishes, shoes, and tools.

Soon the colonies were sending ships to trade with other countries. Different routes were used, but the ideas were to always make a profit. Ships loaded with rum in Rhode Island would sail for the west coast of Africa. There they would sell the rum to the African traders. With the money they got for the rum, African slaves and ivory would be bought.

The ships would then sail for the West Indies. There the slaves were sold to plantation owners. With money from the slaves – the captains of the ships would buy sugarcane and molasses. The sugarcane and molasses were taken back to New England to make more rum. The trading would begin all over again. Because some of the trading routes looked like triangles, this kind of trade became known as the triangular trade.